Fr. Allison

mallison@mpslakers.com

824-2053; 899-3000

2009/10

 

JUNIOR ENGLISH (CP)

 

Long-Term Assignment (it will be reviewed in B4 on Tuesday).

 

British Literature (CP)

M. Allison, M.A., M.Div., M.Ed.

Comparative Writing Assignment

 

The Material:

 

You have some pieces of literature available to you:  The Beowulf; “The Death of King Arthur”; Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Drummer Hodge by Thomas Hardy; Henry V’s speech at Agincourt; and Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen.   All of these have some common concerns, among them an attitude about war and battle, an understanding of who a hero is, and finally, a means whereby one can be driven to think about the reality of life and death. 

 

The Assignment:

 

This is a written assignment that encourages you to use your imaginations, but also to think about the serious pre-occupations of human beings and help you understand that mature persons are those who consider some of the “ultimate” questions.

 

Listed below is a selection of approaches that you may take.  You MUST choose one, and “stay with it.”

 

You can choose to do the following:

 

·         Compare and contrast the type of hero that Arthur is with the type of hero that Beowulf is;

·         You may take one of the pieces of poetry and write a long essay of interpretation about it;

·         You may contrast the values that seem to appear over time in the pieces that you are considering, making sure that you draw references to at least three historical periods;

·         You might attempt an essay in which you examine the important virtues that one of these pieces of literature attempts to convey and show how they seem to be absent or present in our modern time;

·         Make a judgment about what message the author is attempting to convey in one piece of poetry. 

 

The task here is to get you to write about literature and how it is that you enter into dialogue with the work.  In short, “what does it mean?”  One of the theses we have been attempting to make is that literature tends to reflect people’s values and pre-occupations.  Also, we have been contending that literature can form us if we allow it to do so. 

 

 

Getting Started:

 

First, consider the stories or pieces you like the best or dislike the least.  That’s the one with which you begin.  Next, ask the question:  “what do I undertstand by this?” or, what is in this that appeals to me. 

 

Once you have done this, write down some initial thoughts:  whatever enters your mind is best.  Then, organize those into a paragraph or two and see if you can begin to consider a viable essay. 

 

The Procedure:

 

This paper will be done in two parts:  a draft, and a final paper.  I will make the necessary corrections on your draft so that you final paper ought not have many problems. 

 

The value of the draft is 50 points; the final paper 75 points. 

 

While the first paper is only a draft, you should see to it that is complete and error-free as possible. 

 

The following dates apply:

 

Selection of your topic:  Wednesday, October 14.

 

                                      Draft is due October 27.

 

                                      Final Paper:  November 5. 

 

I am available for help on this any day after school. 

 

www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/study-guide/short-summary.

 

 

CHRYSALIS ENTRY FORM

 

TERMS:

 

My signature:_______________________________________

 

 

 

Literature of the 1950’s

 

http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/home.html

 

http://libguides.library.deerfield.edu/fifties

 

British Literature

 

Talking Back to a Poem

http://www.greatbooks.org/typo3temp/pics/f71f4773f4.jpg

Modern American Poetry

From Modern American Poetry, Copyright © 2002 by The Great Books Foundation.

 

It would be convenient, though boring, if there were a short list of universal questions, ones that could be used anytime with any poem. But there are some general questions that you might ask about a poem:

    Who is the speaker?
    What circumstances gave rise to the poem?
    What situation is presented?
    Who or what is the audience?
    What is the tone?
    What form, if any, does the poem take?
    How is form related to content?
    Is sound an important, active element of the poem?
    Does the poem spring from an identifiable historical moment?
    Does the poem speak from a specific culture?
    Does the poem have its own vernacular?
    Does the poem use imagery to achieve a particular effect?
    What kind of figurative language, if any, does the poem use?
    If the poem is a question, what is the answer?
    If the poem is an answer, what is the question?
    What does the title suggest?
    Does the poem use unusual words or use words in an unusual way?

You can fall back on these questions as needed, but experience suggests that since each poem is unique, such questions will not go the necessary distance. In many instances, knowing who the speaker is may not yield any useful information. There may be no identifiable occasion that inspired the poem. But poems do offer clues about where to start. Asking questions about the observable features of a poem will help you find a way in.

 

Review Instructions for Test on Middle Ages:  Monday and Tuesday, November 16 and 17, 2009-11-12

Jr. English (CP)

Fr. Allison

Review for Middle Ages Test

 

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS:

 

·        Middle Ages Intro.

·        King Arthur Story

 

DEFINITIONS

 

·        Romance

·        Courtly Love

·        Feudalism

·        Chivalry

·        Fable

·        Satire

·        Characterization

·        Frame Story

 

SHORT ANSWER

 

·        Arthur

·        Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

·        Wife of Bath’s Tale

·        The Pardoner’s Tale

·        And 2 other of the characters of your choosing

 

MATCHING

 

·        Prologue

·        Wife of Bath

·        Pardoner’s Tale

 

The web link posted here is a good means for review:  www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/study-guide/short-summary.

 

 

1960’s:  Years of Hope, Days of Rage

·         Columbia University Strike Coordinating Committee:  http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~ppennock/doc-Columbia.htm.

·         http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Resources/Primary/Manifestos/SDS_Port_Huron.html

 

 

Junior English

 

A3:  for Wednesday, December 16, 2009:  Paper due for Dead Poet’s Society.

        For Tuesday, December 22, 2009:  from the poetry packet that was distributed to you:  paper 2 - 4 pages:  In detail, explain the meaning of the poem you selected; then, explain, in great detail, why the poem was important to you.

 

Also for Wednesday, December 16, 2009:  Locate at least three symbols in A Christmas Carol.